Zerodha Varsity Quiz 2026 - Mumbai Prelims

12 Mar 2026 Business General

Raghav Chakraborty Quizmaster

A collection of the questions asked during the prelims. A finance quiz covering stock market terms, IPOs, economic concepts, business history, and notable personalities in Indian and global finance.

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Transcript

Text from the slides — answers included, so no peeking if you're playing along!

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Zerodha Varsity Quiz 2026
India’s Premier Finance Quiz · Mumbai Edition Prelims
2

QUESTION
1
In February 2026, the 6th edition of the Zee Business–BSE annual marathon was held in Mumbai,
symbolically linking physical endurance with long-term wealth creation.
The event’s name draws from a popular stock market term that signifies sustained upward momentum
and rising investor optimism on Dalal Street.
What was the two-word title of the event?
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ANSWER
1
Bull Run
The BSE Bull Run, Mumbai, 22 February 2026 — with Enerzal as energy partner, streamed live on Zee
Business.
4

QUESTION
2
SEDEMAC Mechatronics is a Pune-based company that designs and supplies electronic systems for
automotive and industrial applications.
They had their IPO on March 4, 2026, which has been subscribed 2.68 times, raising their valuation to Rs.
6000 crores.
Which entity is poised to make a windfall of Rs. 55 crores as a result of their early stake in the
company?
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ANSWER
2
IIT Bombay
Through its incubator SINE — the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
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QUESTION
3
This mechanism was introduced by SEBI in 2012 to enable stakeholders to reduce their holdings while
raising capital by facilitating the sale of shares without issuing new ones.
What is this mechanism called?
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ANSWER
3
Offer For Sale (OFS)
Promoters sell existing shares to investors on the exchange platform — no fresh issue of shares involved.
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QUESTION
4
In a 2025 interview, Timothy F Daniels, President and CEO of Tiger 21 — a peer-to-peer learning network
for ultra-high-net-worth individuals — observed that during the network’s India meetings, one theme
consistently dominates discussions.
What is this key issue, a word well-known at the intersection of pop-culture and business since
2018?
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ANSWER
4
Succession
Also the HBO series that made the word a business-world shorthand from 2018 onwards.
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QUESTION
5
“Designed to Win” by S. Devarajan tells the story of an Indian public company whose Data Control
Hardware powered India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan, highlighting its expertise in space
technology.
The company also counts among its clients Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Mahindra, Motorola,
Comcast, Echostar and Panasonic, among several others.
Which company is this?
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ANSWER
5
Tata Elxsi
The book’s full title is “Designed to Win: The Tata Elxsi Story”.
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QUESTION
6
Warren Buffett has spoken about where the very first investment primer came from — dating all the way
back to 600 BC.
According to Warren Buffett, the first investment primer was provided in 600 BC by whom?
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ANSWER
6
Aesop
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” — Buffett calls it the oldest lesson in valuing future cash
against present cash.
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QUESTION
7 / 8
A horse with a mane the color of grey. It's most famous as the name of Gandalf's horse in The Lord
of the Rings — lord of the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan.
Which company is named after the horse, inspired by its speed & reliability?
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ANSWER
7 / 8
Shadowfax
The logistics company
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QUESTION
9
In the 1960s, Ron Klein came up with an idea to accelerate an existing process by taking inspiration from
the newly released reel-to-reel recorders, and figured out how to record the information merchants
needed on it.
The invention required people to move it in a slow action, followed by a rapid action, which would mimic
the recorder.
Which invention are we talking about?
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ANSWER
9
The magnetic credit card strip
Ron Klein, “the grandfather of possibilities”, gave the credit card its magnetic stripe — hence the slow-
then-fast swipe.
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QUESTION
10
“Our logo may appear incongruous to a world that places great premium on speed. However, for us at
____, the ______ symbolises age and wisdom.”
“Just as a ______ stands for longevity, at ____ we invest for the long term and are unaffected by the
short-term vicissitudes of the market. Similarly, just as the ______ hibernates in winter, only to emerge
rejuvenated, we too believe in acting only when the time is ripe.”
This is the explanation provided by which company about their logo?
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ANSWER
10
PPFAS Mutual Fund
Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services Limited — the blanks are filled by the tortoise.
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QUESTION
11
In 1958, economist Bill Phillips introduced his Phillips Curve, which established a relationship between
lowering unemployment and increasing wages in an economy.
This was challenged by Milton Friedman in the 1960s, who predicted that attempting to lower
unemployment via expansionary policy would only cause inflation to accelerate.
Which economic situation, first seen in the world in the US following the 1973 oil crisis, validated
Friedman’s argument?
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ANSWER
11
Stagflation
An economic cycle marked by slow growth, high unemployment and high inflation all at once.
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QUESTION
12
In the 19th century, senior British army officers wore hats adorned with oak leaves that had the
appearance of being made in gold, as a way to reflect their status.
While very few were made from actual gold, a less-expensive, lustrous alloy was used to give this
appearance.
Which two-word term originates from this?
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ANSWER
12
Top Brass
The alloy was brass — hence the phrase for an organisation’s senior leadership.
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QUESTION
13
In 1215, a group of barons, led by Essex landowner Robert Fitzwalter, were unhappy with the heavy,
arbitrary taxes imposed by the King that funded failed wars in France.
What was created as a solution that helped curb the King’s power and mandated him to take
consent for levying taxes?
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ANSWER
13
The Magna Carta
Sealed by King John in 1215 — the origin of “no taxation without consent”.
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QUESTION
14
The pyramid hierarchy traditionally shows a wide base of junior employees supporting a small apex of
senior leaders.
With AI now handling most entry-level tasks, the need for a large junior base is shrinking. As a result, this
is now being reimagined as a similar, but leaner structure.
Which shape/structure is it being reimagined as?
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ANSWER
14
The Obelisk
Consulting’s shift from Pyramid to Obelisk — a tall, narrow structure with fewer layers and more senior
expertise.
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QUESTION
15
Starting with Mombasa, Kenya in 1953, this Indian bank named after a wealthy princely state currently
has over 80 overseas branches, contributing approximately 15.91% to its total business.
One of its most significant foreign branches was opened in 1976 in a European capital city to facilitate
international trade for a specific type of businesses from Bombay and Surat.
Which business & which bank?
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ANSWER
15
Bank of Baroda · The diamond industry
The Brussels branch, opened in 1976, served diamond traders from Bombay and Surat.
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QUESTION
16
Manu Manek’s infamous Bear Cartel that was active in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s had 3
key proteges.
Nicknamed Triple R, one of the three was a young chartist named Raju.
Who were the other two?
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ANSWER
16
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala & Radhakishan
Damani
The three R’s of Manu Manek’s circle — Raju, Rakesh and Radhakishan.
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QUESTION
17
Kishore Biyani regularly conducted his “Bharat Darshan” to understand Indian consumers.
He had a particular interest in some of the practices in South India. He took inspiration from Chennai’s
Saravana Stores for their comprehensive product offerings under one roof.
Which place served as his inspiration for crowd management, which he effectively adopted
during the high influx his stores would face during sales?
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ANSWER
17
Tirupati
Widely reported as the Tirupati (Tirumala) temple queue system
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18
In an interview with Livemint in 2024, Nikhil Kamath said, “I don’t eat till 2 pm and ____ somehow
suppresses my appetite. So, I will have one ____ when markets begin at around 9 am and then another
by 12 pm, and it keeps me going till 2 pm easily.”
His affinity for this product led him to invest in a brand that is named after this region. Which
brand?
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ANSWER
18
Subko
From “Subcontinent” and the Hindi “Sabko”, meaning “for all” — the coffee brand Kamath invested in.
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QUESTION
19
The term gives us mortgage, literally a "dead pledge" — the pledge dies once the debt is paid off.
The same root gives us a second financial term, which entered English in the 14th century meaning
"to kill off." Today it describes two things: repaying a loan in instalments of principal and interest
until the balance is extinguished, and writing down the cost of intangible assets like patents and
copyrights over their useful life.
Which term?
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ANSWER
19
Amortisation
Applies to intangible assets and loans: it spreads the cost of patents and copyrights over the asset’s
useful life, and for loans it means repaying in full through monthly payments of principal and interest.
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QUESTION
20
A video from “The Growth Story of the Decade” was played, featuring Radhika Gupta.
According to Radhika Gupta, who is responsible for all these significant growth parameters that
are discussed in this video?
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ANSWER
20
Answer slide not captured
The answer slide for this question wasn’t in the photos — fill it in from the official answer key.
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That’s a wrap
Zerodha Varsity Quiz · Mumbai Corporate Edition